ASEAN leaders reaffirm commitment to Doha Round

Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states here on Sunday reaffirmed their commitment to a successful conclusion of the Doha Round, Xinhua reported.
In the Chairman's statement issued here following the conclusion of the 14th ASEAN Summit, the leaders urged all members of the World Trade Organization, especially the major players, to expeditiously reengage and exercise flexibility to bring about an early conclusion of the Round.
"We believe that an early conclusion to the modalities negotiations, and thereafter, the Doha Round, would help to restore confidence and growth in the global economy," said the statement.
The statement said that a successful Doha Round would provide a "stimulus package" at a multinational level to help mitigate the negative effects of current global economic crisis.
The leaders also suggested to preserve the progress that had been achieved in 2008, especially in the areas of agriculture and industrial goods modalities, so that later negotiations could focus on narrowing remaining differences.
In the statement, the leaders also called on developed countries to increase assistance to developing countries, and in particular to Least Developed Countries, with a view to increasing their participation in the global trade and alleviate the effects of the current global crisis.
ASEAN groups Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia